Over long periods of time, many cave-dwelling organisms have lost their eyes. Tapeworms have lost their digestive systems. Whales have lost their hind limbs. How can natural selection account for these losses?
A) Natural selection cannot account for losses, but accounts only for new structures and functions.
B) Natural selection accounts for these losses by the principle of use and disuse.
C) Under particular circumstances that persisted for long periods, each of these structures presented greater costs than benefits.
D) The ancestors of these organisms experienced harmful mutations that forced them to lose these structures.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process in which organisms with advantageous traits are able to survive and reproduce, passing on those traits to their offspring. In the case of organisms losing certain features, it is likely that the costs of maintaining these structures outweighed their benefits, leading to their gradual loss over time. This is known as natural selection through "disuse" and is an important factor in shaping the evolution of organisms.

Over Long Periods of Time, Many Cave-Dwelling Organisms Have Lost